Tracker-board modifier.



A. 'JAMESON.

TRACKER BOARD MODIFIER.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 9, 1911.

1,070,897, Patented Aug.19,1913.

III/ 9.1.

5- 4 M Way/1? 6111051121 4 COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 00., WASHINGTON, n. c

.UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALEXANDER JAMESON, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOB OF ONE-HALF TO WILLIAM G. HAUEISEN, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA.

TRACKER-BOARD MODIFIER.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER JAME- SON, a citizen. of the United States, residing at Indianapolis, in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented a new and useful Tracker-Board Modifier, of which the following is a specification.

It is a well known fact that, in the operation of automatic musical instruments, certain desirable results as to the character of sound produced can be obtained by causing the perforations of the music sheet to register with the tracker board openings at a speed either greater than or less than the normal or tempo speed of the sheet, a sudden registering of the sheet perforations with the tracker board producing staccato efiects while a gradual registering of the perforations of the music sheet with the tracker board openings will produce legato effects. Such effects have heretofore been produced by means of mechanism which will control the movement of the sheet driving mechanism, but, as such mechanism has considerable inertia, the apparatus is not as flexible as is desired.

The object of my present invent-ion is, therefore, to produce an apparatus by means of which the desired results may be obtained by a lateral movement of the tracker board, in the line of movement of the music sheet, the parts to be moved be ing much less in weight and resistance than the sheet and its driving mechanism.

The accompanying drawings illustrate somewhat diagrammatically my improvement, Figure 1 being a vertical section of an apparatus embodying my invention, in which the movement of tracker board is controlled by a power pneumatic; Fig. 2 a vertical section of an embodiment of my invention, in which the movement of the tracker board may be accomplished manually; and Fig. 3 a horizontal section taken just above the tracker bar.

In the drawings, 10 indicates the usual winding roll and 11 the rewinding roll of any desirable form of perforated music sheet 12. Arranged between the two winding rolls is a tracker board 13 of ordinary form and so arranged as to cooperate with the sheet 12 in the usual manner. The tracker board 13, however, is, contrary to the usual practice, movable in the line of movement of the music sheet, and in order Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed April 8, 1911.

Patented A11 19,1913.

Serial No. 619,700.

to provide for such movement by a simple mechanism, I pivotally support the tracker board 13 on an axis lt parallel with the active portion of the music sheet. Secured to the tracker board is a lever 15 by means of which it may be rocked. "In Fig. 1 the lever 15 is moved by means of a link 16 and a power pneumatic 17 which may be controlled either manually or from a music sheet in any well known manner. In the form shown in Fig. 2, lever 15 is connected by a link 18 with a lever 19 which, in turn, is engaged by a lever 21 connected to a finger piece 22 arranged at the front of the key board 23.

In operation, a staccato effect may be produced by a movement of the tracker board 13 toward the approaching music sheet perforations, while legato effects may be produced by a movement of the tracker board away from the approaching music sheet perforations, the gradation of effect being determined by the difference in speed of movement of the tracker board I claim as my invention:

1. In a pneumatic player mechanism, the combination with a supporting and driving mechanism for a perforated music sheet, of a tracker board arranged in cooperative relationship thereto, and unitary means for shifting the music sheet face of the tracker board in its entirety back and forth in the line of movement of the music sheet during the pneumatic playing operation while maintaining it in operative relationship to the music sheet throughout such shifting movement.

2. In a pneumatic player mechanism, the combination of supporting and driving mechanism for a perforated music sheet, a tracker board arranged in cooperative relationship thereto, the music sheet face of the tracker board being shiftable back and forth in the line of movement of the music sheet and automatically maintained parallel to itself in such movement, and means convenient-ly accessible to the operator while operating the player mechanism for producing such shifting of the music sheet face of the tracker board during each operation.

3. In a pneumatic player mechanism, the combination of supporting and driving mechanism for a perforated music sheet, a tracker board arranged in cooperative relationship thereto, the music sheet face of the tracker board being pivotally mounted to an axis transverse to the line of movement of the music sheet, and means conveniently accessible to the operator during the pneumatic playing operation for shifting the music sheet face of the tracker board about such axis While maintaining it in operative relationship to the music sheet.

4. In a pneumatic player mechanism, the combination of supporting and driving mechanism for a perforated music sheet, a tracker board arranged in cooperative relationship thereto, the music sheet face of the tracker board being movable back and forth in the line of movement of the music sheet during the pneumatic playing operation While remaining in operative relationship to the music sheet during such movement and being biased to one limit of its movement, and conveniently accessible means for producing a movement of the music sheet face of the tracker board in the direction opposite to that in Which it is biased.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand and seal at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 5th day of April, A. D. one thousand nine hundred and eleven.

ALEXANDER JAMESON. [L. s.]

Witnesses:

ARTHUR M. H001), FRANK A. FAHLE.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. C. 

